Bucephalus is coming along great. He is to the point of picking up all 4 feet! He lets me touch him all over, and brush him, although he still thinks the brush will eat him sometimes. He is also accepting of the blanket and saddle.

We are working on in-hand leading, turning, and following the pressure of the rope.Either left or right and give both directions standing.He is a very curious horse and is very smart! Also beautiful!

I couldn't have asked for a better horse to work with. More to follow.

Yesterday two friends and I drove to Illinois to pick up the long awaited mustang who is to be my competition partner for the next 90 days! We arived to find the mustang number 9071 to be mine. He is cute, compact, and smart! I think we have a winner!!!

I couldn't wait to work with him so I gave him a short break once I got home and then began what will be a long journey for us! He is very curious and we did make contact the first night.. He is very brave and I think wants to please.

I have posted a short video of me playing with him last night 6-13-08. Feel free to watch!

What do all of you horse people out there in cyberland think about the hay shortage in Kentucky? If I can still buy hay from one supplier for $4 a bale, why are people elsewhere charging $7-$8 or even $9 a bale for grass hay? Are people so money hungry they must gouge on everything? I understand every year prices on everything go up.. but is it enough to raise your price by 100%?

I under stand gas is outrageous etc, but who regulates these things? Are there any regulations?

Hello Everyone!I hope everyone is well out there in Cyberland! I just wanted to thank Cathy Edens the host of the R.A.G. Rodeo!

What a great event with such wonderful horse people! For those who haven't heard the R.A.G.(Road Apple Gang) rodeo is a trail type event with a complete obstacle course, relay races, and speed events! I had a blast judging and hope to see you all next year!

The Open House was a huge success! Thanks to everyone who came out!!! I appreciate all the hard work everyone put in to help me out! Bonnie & Erin Allison, Leann & Matt Frey, The Wrights, and The Lightfoots!You guys are awesome!

Rodden Equine is hosting a Barn Open House on Saturday September 22, 2007 and will feature a free Demonstration from the USMGA. Those of you not familiar with this it is a real treat! Mounted Gaming is a blast and teaches you balance, and coordination in a really fun way!

Come and see our facilities along with a really fun way to work with your horse/pony!

Please contact Rebecca via E-mail to RSVP, or for more information. Drinks, and snacks will be available.

This past week I went to two different auctions in different towns near Louisville. Horses were going for ridiculous prices. There were yearlings and weanlings that were bringing $20. Yeah that's right $20!!! There were donkeys that didn't sell at $15 a piece!!!!!

Why is this happening? My thoughts on this are that people who breed grade animals to try to make a buck need to smarten up. This needs to happen for the animals sake. There are too many horses out there and not enough owners. Most horses owners have more than one horse and I have seen(been one of) many that take one or two from a auction and give it a home, when they really don't need another horse. These are healthy animals that have long lifespans! People don't realize this. It is heartbreaking to me to have to sit and watch that happen. It took everything in my being to not purchase one of those animals needing a home.

I have more than enough. Even for someone in the business. I have 11 of my own. People need to take responsibility for horses they breed. I am for a program that has horse breeder's have a certificate and regulatory body that looks out for the horse's interest. To make it harder to breed and less likely to breed animals that can't find homes.

Anyone who wants to chat with me on this subject please feel free to comment here or e-mail me.

I decided to try to keep a blog on this site about current riding problems my students might be encoutering, or current isssues within the horse business.I would hope that visitors to this site, or students would gain some insight about their current riding problems through these blogs, as well as sharing information for all to see.

In my years of teaching I have noticed there is a major issue with fear and all the effects it has on riders. In my opinion, some fear of riding is healthy and can keep you sharp enough, in the saddle, to recognize problems and work on them in a constructive manner.But when a rider reaches a point of not being able to relax in the saddle, for fear of falling etc, it becomes a hazardous situation and creates less than ideal conditions for excelling in your riding endeavours.

My feeling is that when you decide to become a rider and participate in equestrian sports you accept the risks involved voluntarily. You can however work on your fears through lessons and small, progressive steps. Horses respond to our body langauage and can feel our tension, they can feel our anger, they can feel our relaxation. Horses are very emotional animals and respond to us by what our bodies send to them. So controlling our fears is essential to have a rewarding riding experience.

Basically our fears are brought on by not knowing how our equine friends will respond to our requests. They are much bigger than us, along with being much stronger. Rationalizing fears, and mentally preparing yourself, I feel will encourage a good riding experience.Being able to rationalize our fears and be around horses in a safe manner requires us to have a working knowledge of horse behavior and training techniques.I feel it is the duty of each riding student to learn as much as possible about our wonderful equine partners and continue acquiring knowledge to help control our fears once in the saddle.

This blog is a brief overview of fears and suggestions for taming them while in the saddle. More in depth techniques for controlling fear will follow. In the mean time any suggestions, or topics you might want to see discussed, please feel free to comment about an I will do my best to offer some suggestions.

*Disclaimer* I am only offering brief overviews. It is impossible to offer suggestions for individualized needs through a blog. Rodden Equine will not be responsible for any accidents, through use of these techniques. If not sure of how to proceed in techniques please get a professional's help.

Also no reproduction of this material is allowed without the express approval of Rodden Equine.